Lipids are a diverse class of hydrophobic organic compounds that can self associate to form cellular membranes. In addition to this critical structural function, lipids store energy and are important precursors for the synthesis of intra- and extra- cellular signaling molecules. Recent advances in the systems-level analysis of lipids have established mass spectrometry as the state-of the-art approach for lipid analysis. Our broad long-term objective is to provide these technologies to advance the research goals of ten highly productive investigators at the University of Kentucky with a shared interest in defining roles of lipids and their metabolites in physiological and pathophysiological processes including cancer, inflammation, obesity, diabetes and cardiovascular disease. The specific aim is to request funds to acquire a Thermo/Finnigan TSQ MS/MS high performance triple stage-quadrupole mass spectrometer to be housed in the University of Kentucky Mass Spectrometry Facility. This instrument will be used to detect, structurally characterize and, most importantly, quantitate phospholipids, sphingolipids, fatty acids (including eicosanoids) isoprenoids and sterols in samples derived from cellular clinical and/or preclinical sources and to do so with unprecedented resolution, precision and sensitivity. No suitable instrument of this configuration and with the required sensitivity is presently available to these investigators for this purpose at the University of Kentucky; other instruments of different configurations potentially available for some of these analyses are heavily used for other purposes. Consequently, these investigators are forced to use indirect or inadequate methodologies to accomplish their research goals or to use appropriate instrumentation on a collaborative basis with investigators at other institutions. Acquisition of this instrument would allow this group of investigators to complete their current and future research projects far more efficiently to generate optimal research outcomes. [unreadable] [unreadable] [unreadable]